He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows.
Parallel translations
- KJV He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
- BSB He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline? He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge?
- ESV He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—
- NKJV He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge?
- NASB He who disciplines the nations, will He not rebuke, He who teaches mankind knowledge?
- NLT He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you? He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The God who disciplines nations and teaches mankind surely knows and will punish. The God who corrects and instructs is fully aware of human deeds.
Overview
Continuing the argument, the psalmist reasons that the One who governs and instructs all peoples is not ignorant of their sin. God who teaches knowledge certainly possesses it perfectly. He will therefore call every nation and person to account, as the just Judge of all (Psalm 9:8; Romans 2:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Job 35:11who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
- Isa 28:26For his God instructs him in right judgment, and teaches him.
- Ps 44:2You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
- Jer 10:25Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you, and on the families that don’t call on your name: for they have devoured Jacob. Yes, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.
- Ps 119:66Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.
- Hab 1:12Aren’t you from everlasting, Yahweh my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Yahweh, you have appointed him for judgment. You, Rock, have established him to punish.
- Prov 2:6For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
- Isa 10:5–6Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!
- Ps 10:16Yahweh is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land.
- Isa 37:36Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
- Ps 135:8–12Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal;
- Amos 3:2“I have only chosen you of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”
- Isa 54:13All your children will be taught by Yahweh; and your children’s peace will be great.
- Ps 9:5You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
- Ps 25:8–9Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.
- John 6:45It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.
- Hab 3:12You marched through the land in wrath. You threshed the nations in anger.
- Isa 2:3Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion the law shall go out, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem.
- Isa 10:12Therefore it will happen that, when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his haughty looks.
- Ezek 39:21I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.
- Ps 149:7To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples;
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 94:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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